Mechanism for compressing air or other gases.



PATENTED MAY 19, 1902'.

W. H. REYNOLDS. MECHANISM FOR GOMPRBSSIN-G AIR OR'OTHEB GASES.

APPLICATION} FILED DBO. 2 1901.

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, No. 728,413. PATENTED MATH; 1903. v W. H. REYNOLDS. 1

MECHANISM FOR OOMPRESSING my OR OTHER GASES.

I 7 APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2, 1 901.

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UNITE STATES Tatented May 19, 1.9031

PATENT OFFIC 'WILLIE H. REYNOLDS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE M. AND P. CO. OF CHICAGO, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MECHANISM FOR COMPRESlSl NG'AIR 03 OTHER onsr-zs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,413, dated May 19, 1903. Application filed December 2, 1901. Serial No. 84,314. (No model.)

To all; whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, WILLIE H. REYNOLDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at 372 East Ohio street, Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Compressing Air or other Gases, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the ac companying drawings, forming a part thereof. This invention is designed to constitute an improved meansfor compressing air or any other gas to high tension; and it consists in the means shown and described by which a liquid is utilized to transmit the pressure derived from the motor to the gas compressed in the final stagethat is, to the higher tensions desired-as fully set out in the claims. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a complete apparatus embodying my invention, the several cylinders of the nature of pumps which are included in said apparatus being shown in an axial section and the deflection ofcertain pipes for connecting the different parts which is necessary to avoid other parts of the mechanism being disregarded, the view, being somewhat in the nature of a diagram.

3 3 on Fig. 1. Fig.4 is'asection at the line 4 4' on Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section at the line5 5011 Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail plan of the controlling connection between the high-tension engine and the force-pump which supplies it with water for pressure.

My apparatus comprises five (5) principal elements, as follows: first, a low-tension compressor for gas; second, a. force-pump for liquid; third, a piston-chamber and a piston therein which receives and discharges gas at one side of the piston and liquid at the other side; fourth, a high-pressurestorage-chamberfor gas; fifth,'amotorwhich act-uates'the low-tension compressor and the force-pump. It may comprisein'additio'n to these five ele- 5 mentstwo-further elements, to wit: sixth, a

low-tension storage-chamber for gas, constituting the immediate receiver from the lowtension compressor, and, seventh, a liquidreserve chamber from which the force-pump 5o is supplied and into which the liquid returns after it is used as a medium for compressing Fig. 2 is a section at the 7 line 2 2 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a-section at the line.

the gas to high tension. These-last two elements may under some circumstances be dispensed with, and the liquid-reserve chamber is in no case an absolute necessity and serves only the purpose of avoiding the waste of liquid, permitting it to be used over and ploy oil or glycerin or other liquid besides water for'the purpose.

A is the low-tension gas-compressor, a double compressing-pu mp having two pistons A A, which are reciprocatedbetween thecylinderheads and the mid-diaphragm a by means of their respective stems A A ,which emerge through the opposite heads respectively and are connected by arms A A to an exterior outside the cylinder 01, and has intermediate thelugs rack A for engagement of an operating device deriving movement from the primary motor. I

the intake is afforded through them, checkvalves a a being provided to retain the gas admitted. operatedin the open air, as illustrated, the gas compressed isatmospheric air but I referto this gas because the action would not be different if othe'rgas were employed.

the two chambers, respectively, of the compressor and atoppositesidesof and immediately adjacent to the mid-diaphragm a.

A A are suitable check-valves in these discharge-pipes to'preventthe return of gas discharged through them. The two pipes low-tension gas-chamber B, a check-valved tion of the pipes A A and the-entrance to the chamber B. I

C is the liquid force-pump. It-s construction is similar to that of the compressor A, having two chambers c c, partitioned "bya mid-diaphragm c'. In each'chamber a there is a piston C, whose stem emerges through the head of the cylinder, both pistons being connected by their respective arms C C with an operating-rod C mounted outside of the cylinder in lugs c and having intermediate said lugs a rack'C for the engagement of the over, and thus rendering it practicable to em- The piston-stems A A are hollow, and

It will be understood that when merge in asingle pipe A ,'which leads tothe being desirably interposed between the junc operating-rod A which is mounted in lugs at A A are the discharge-pipes leading from operating device deriving movement from the primary motor. Each chamber has an intake for liquid immediately adjacent to the mid-partition c, the liquid-supply pipes (l for such intake leading from any source of liquid, as the reserve liquid-chamber D, and having check-valves C (3 to prevent the return. Discharge from each chambert' is provided also immediately adjacent to the mid-diaphragm c, the discharge-pipes C being each provided with a check-valve (3 to prevent return to the chamber, and said pipes being merged in a single pipe 0 which discharges into one end of the pistonchamber E, a check-valve 0 being interposed preferably close to the chamber E to prevent return of liquid which may be delivered past said valve into said chamber. A pipe B leads from the low-tension gasstorage chamber B into the end of the pistonchamber E opposite that into which the liquid-pipe C discharges, a check-valve B being interposed in said pipe as near as may be convenient to its discharge into the pistonchamber.

F F are high-tension gas-storage chambers which are supplied from the end of the piston-chamber E into which the pipe B leads, such supply being conducted through the discharge-pipe E leading from that end of the piston-chamber by way of branch pipes E E discharging into said high-tension storage-chambers, respectively, their respective discharges being controlled by independent cut-off valvesin the body M,operated, as hereinafter described, to admit high-tension gas to one or other of said high-tension chambers at the will of the operator. From the same end of the piston-chamber E at which the liquid-supply pipe O discharges into it a liquid-discharge pipe E leads from it, discharging into the liquid-reserve chamber D when such chamberis employed. In said liquid-discharge pipe E ,conveniently near to its connection with the chamber E, there is a controlling-valve E This is illustrated in a gate-valve, because a valve of this form can be more conveniently operated and more perfectly controls the passage of liquid than other forms. This valve is operated automatically, but not as a check-valve, being opened and closed,as hereinafter described,by mechanism connected with the piston which plays in the chamber E. E is said piston. Its stem E emerges through one end of the cylinder E, and the piston is arranged to reciprocate substantially to the opposite end. An arm E attached to said piston-stem E carries a rod E which is guided in lugs e e outside the cylinder and reciprocated with the piston. This rod has tappets E E for operating the lever E fulcrumed on the stud e, which juts from the cylinder. The ends of this lever E are formed as cams to be encountered by the tappets as the rod E reciprocates toward the limit of its movement in opposite directions, respectively, and the lever is thereby given the necessary movement to cause it, by means of a link E, with which it is provided, to actuate the lever E, to which the stem 6 of the gate-valve is connected. The cam ends of the lever E are formed suitably to cause the encounter of the tappets to open and close the valve with the prompt movement necessary for the result desired, as hereinafter more particularly explained. The primary motor may be of any type and may employ any form of energy. I have shown only its main shaft and the connections by which it actuates the low-tension gas-compressor and the liquid force-pump. H is said main shaft.

H may represent a fly-wheel disk at the end of the shaft havinga crank wrist or stud H to which are connected the pitmen H 11 The pitman H is connected at the other end to the lever-arm 7L of the gear-segment H said segment being suitably fulcrumed atits center and engaged with the rack A on the rod A to actuate the piston in the low-tension compressor A. The pitman H is connected to the lever 71, which is fulcru med at the center of the gear-segment H which engages the rack 0 to operate the liquid forcepump.

K represents a frame structure on which the segment-gears H and H are fulcrumed and the com pressorand force-pump are mounted or with which they are in any event rigidly connected, the bearings of the shaft H being also in the same frame structure. It may be understood that this representation is in a sense conventional or diagrammatic,designed to indicate merely the fixedness of relative position of theparts thus shown as mounted on the same rigid frame. The lever h operates as an arm of the gear-segment H when it is pinned thereto, and for the purpose of thus connecting the two parts a latch J is provided mounted on the lever h and having a stud or tooth J, which is thrust through the hole 71. in the lever and adapted to enter a hole H in the gear-segment when the the two holes register. A spring J may be provided, connected in any desirable or convenient way with the latch, tending to thrust the tooth thereof into the hole H when said hole is opposite the tooth and to hold the latch in such a position, locking the lever to the segment until the latch is actuated to withdraw the tooth. On the frame K, I mount a rock-shaft L, which is cranked between its bearings 75, so as to overhang the entire path of oscillation of the lever 72. and engage the latch J, so that as the shaft is rocked its offset portion or wrist L operates on the latch to force it down at the end pressed upon and up at the end having the tooth to Withdraw the tooth from the engagement with the segmentgearll The rock-shaft L extends beyond its bearings toward the cylinder E, being 0&- set or cranked at L near its bearing 70, and again at L and then extending parallel with the path of the piston E for a distance nearly said rock-shaft being such that the end of the "being deflected to form a cam L offset portion of said rock-shaft beyond the portion parallel with the pistons path extends by the end of the piston-stem Whenthe latter is at the gas-discharging end of its stroke. The end of the piston'carries a forked tappet E which is in position to encounter the end of the rock-shaft L, said end portion The forked tappet E strides the offset portion L of the rock-shaft L, and one fork encounters the cam portion L at the innerlimit er the pist'ons stroke, rocking the shaft in the direction to disengage the latch J, while the other prong of the fork encounters the cam'L at iheopposite limit of the piston-stroke, rocking the shaft in the opposite direction and causingthelatch to engage the gear-segment H The force-pump is thus operated while the piston E is moving inward in the cylinder Ethat is, toward the end remote from the force-pumpand said pump is out of action from the time the pistonreaches the inward limit of its travel, both while it may stand at rest at that limit and while it is returning to the other end of the cylinder, causing the gas to be drawn into the cylinder from the low-pressure reservoir B.

The pipes E E" E, discharging into the high-tension gas-storage chambers,are controlled by independent valves, which, however, for convenience are formed with their bodies integral, such united bodies constituting a continuous bar M, on which there is mounted the bracket N, which supports the lever N, pivoted thereto and operating the cam-plate O, which is provided with slidebearings on the bar M and hasa cam-slot O, engaging the studs projecting from the valvestems M M M, respectively, to open and close said valves as the cam-plate is moved longitudinally. The said cam-slot is formed with similar lateral deflections O 0 from their general course, constituting, in effect, a succession of similar cams having, their corresponding points at distances from eachother less than the distances between the'valvestems, respectively, the difference being substantially the distancenecessary to'open the valve, so that as the plate is moved continuously. from the position at which all the valves are closed, as shown in Fig. l, the valves are opened successively,v each valve being closed afterhaving been opened before the next one is opened, so that by swinging the lever N about its fulcrum in either direction away from the position shownin Fig. l the gas is admitted to the-three chambers F F F'successively, commencing at theend away from which the handle of the lever is rocked and to only one at a time,

The operation of this apparatus is designed to be as follows: The motor being operated continuouslygives continuous operation to the low-tension gas-compressor, causing the gas compressed therein to be forced continuously into the low-tension gas-receiver B;

wherein it is designed to be accumulated up to some convenient low te'nsion'sa y one hundred pounds pressure. When this desired maximum (which approximately is also the minimum)'has been obtained, the gas at this pressure will'be admitted to the piston-chain ber E, whose piston will have been up to that time standing at-the end of the cylinder remote from the liquid'force-pump, so that the latter has been out of action after first having acted long enoughto once fill said pistonchamber and force the piston therein to'the said remote position. The admission of gas of one hundred pounds tension to the gasreceiving' end of the chamber'E will drive the piston back to the opposite end, causing it to force the liquid out of the chamber into the reserve liquidchamber D. Upon reaching the limit of its movement toward the force-pump th'e tappet'E operating on the lever E closes the valve E 9, preventing further discharge of water intothe chamber D, the described action of the tappet E on the cam L engages the gear segment H? with the motor, andthe force-pump resumes its action and again fills thefchamber E, forcing back the pistOn'E dis'charg' ing the gas at an increased tension into'whichever of the high-tension chambers is at that at the end of such forcing stroke the tappet.

E encountering the lever E opens the Valve E and the pressure from'the chamber 13, operating again against the piston'E,

drives it back, forcing out the water throughthe open valve into the reservoir D. These operations followeach other automatically in the order indicated as long as the motor continues to operate until'the tension inthe highpressure chamber which isin communication with pipe E equals 'thefull capacity of the system to produce tension. The operator in attendance will, at the proper time before the limit of such action is reached, operate'the lever N to shiftithe valve-operating cam-bar 0, so as to closet'he valve leading to the chamber which has been receivingthegas and open another chambe'r, which will befilled'in like manner. The chamber E will be alternately filled with the gas from one andwith the liquid from the other end, the gas beingbythe entrance of "the liquid discharged into 'the'highpressurechamber, in which the pressure will increase with each successive action,' requiring as it increases a-greater force to be exercised by the liquid force-pump in filling the chamberE to force the pistonto compress the of the piston E as the capacityof the cylinder E is greater than the volume of Water thrown atleach reciprocation of vthe forcepump piston. Thearea of the pistons'of the as tothe tension necessary to drive it past the I v check-valve 6 into the high-tension chamber. The reciprocation's of the force-pumpfpi'st'on' are as 'many times more frequent'than thos'e I 0 liquid force-pump is sufficiently small to adapt the pump to operate under a limited force supplied through the motor-shaft to compress the gas up to a desired maximum tension of, say, two thousand pounds. In the apparatus which I have used,the area of the force-pump piston being about one-half a square inch and the lever 71, being about double the radius of the gear-segment 1-1 a pull of live hundred pounds exerted on the end of said lever by its connection with the motor-shaft is sufficient to produce the maximum compression. It will be noticed that this maximum requirement is only reached at the limit of the compression-stroke of the piston E, and at the commencement of each stroke from the first to the last in the entire process the piston operates only against the gas at the tension of one hundred pounds or whatever is fixed upon as the tension to be maintained in the chamber B.

The use of a liquid to transmit mechanical force from the motor to the piston which compresses the gas in the chamber E has the advantage of dispensing largely with packing for the piston and reduces the operating parts, and the constant succession of change from gas to liquid in the chamber E keeps the chamber cool, the liquid carrying off. the heat generated in the compression of the gas, and this without any special expedient for the purpose causes the gas to reach the high tension in the chambers F without reaching a high temperature or heating the chambers or passages to a high temperature.

The relation between the action of the initial or the low-tension compressor and the liquid force-pump will determine the tension at which gas is maintained in the chamber B, and this may be regulated at will by varying the relative lengths of the strokes of the pistons in the gas-compressor E and the force-pump. Such variation at will may be made by adjusting the stop-collars a and a on the rod A so as to allow more or less play to said rod-that is, movement in which it will not carry the pistons A A.

I claim- 1. A gas-compressing mechanism comprising a gas-compressing pump, a liquid forcepump, a high-pressure storage-chamber for compressed gas, a piston-chamber and a piston therein, said piston-chamber having at one side of the piston an inlet from the gascompressor and an outlet to the high-pressure chamberand valves controlling the same, and having at the other side of the piston an inlet from the liquid force-pump, and an outlet both provided with check-valves, and means for operating the compressor and the force-pump.

2. A mechanism for compressing gas to a high tension comprising a gas-compressor, a low pressure chamber into which it discharges, a liquid force-pump, a high-pressure gas-storage chamber, a piston-chamber and a piston therein, said piston-chamber having at one side of the piston an inlet from the low pressure gas-chamber and an outlet to the high-pressure gas-chamber, and valves controlling said inlet and outlet respectively,and,

a liquid force-pu mp and a liquid-holder from which it is supplied, a high-pressure gas-storage chamber, a piston-chamber and a piston therein, the piston-chamber having at one side of the piston an inlet from the gas-compressor and an outlet to the high-pressure chamber, and at the other side of the piston an inlet from the liquid force-pump and an outlet to the liquid-holder.

at. A mechanism for compressing gas to a high tension comprising agas-compressor, a low-pressure gas-chamber into which it discharges, a liquid force-pump and a liquidholder from which it is supplied, a high-pressure gas-storage chamber, a piston-chamber and a piston therein, the piston-chamber having at one side of the piston an inlet-from the low-pressure gas-chamber and an outlet to the high-pressure gas-chamber, and at the other side an inlet from the force-pump and an outlet to the liquid-chamber.

5. A mechanism for compressing gas to a high tension comprising a gas-compressor and liquid force-pump, a high-pressure gas-storage chamber, a piston-chamber and a piston therein, said piston-chamber having at one side of the piston an inlet from the gas-compressor and an outlet to the high-pressure chamber and at the other side of the piston an inlet from the liquid force-pump and an outlet, and means by which the piston at the ends of its stroke toward the liquid inlet and outlet connects the liquid force-pump with operating mechanism, and at the other ends of its stroke disconnects the same.

6. Agas-compressing mechanism cqmprising a low-tension gas-compressor, a liquid force-pu mp, a high-pressure storage-chamber for compressed gas, a chamber which receives at one end the gas from the low-tension compressor and at the other end liquid from the force-pump, said chamber having a liquiddischarge pipe from the end at which it receives the liquid, and a gas-discharge pipe from the end at which it receives the gas; a valve in the liquid-discharge pipe and means for opening and closing the same connected with and actuated by the piston, arranged to open said valve at the limit of the stroke of the piston toward the liquid-discharge end, and to close it at the limit of its stroke in the opposite direction.

7. In combination with a chamber receivingliquid at one end and gas at the other end, and having a piston playing between the liquid and gas inlets, a liquid-discharge pipe lead- IIO tappets being adjustable on the rod to vary the point in the piston-stroke at which the Sflld valve is opened and closed.

8. In a gas-compressing mechanism comprising a low-tension gas-compressor, a liquid force-pump and a liquid and gas receiving chamber provided'with a piston, intowhich chamber the compressor and pump discharge at opposite'sides of the piston, means for actuating the compressor and pump comprising a motor-shaft, two pitman-links reciprocated by the shaft, connections by which said pitman-links operate the pistons in" the compressor and pump respectively, and means operated by the piston of the chamber into which they discharge for disconnecting the pump'mechanism at intervals to permit the said chamber to receive gas from the compressor.

9. In combination with the compressor and liquid 'force-pump,'and means for actuating them comprising 'a gear-segment and coopcrating rack to actuate the pistons of the pump, a lever-arm pivoted at the center of the segment and a latchfor connecting am the latter, a rock-shaft, L, having an ofiset overhanging the latch, and having the oifs'et cam portions L and L the chamber which receives the gas'a nd liquid from the compressor and pump respectively and the piston therein, the piston-stem having'the tappet'E located and constructed to encounter said cam portions of the rock-shaft to cause the latter to operate the latch at the limits'of the piston-stroke. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses, at Chicago, Illinois, this 31st day' of October, A. 'D. 1901 WILLIE H..REY.NOLDS.=

In presence of' EDWARD T. WRAY, HAROLD WARNER. 

